We all work when we’re on annual leave (evenings and weekends), don’t we?

[Changedforthisyear]

This new WFH/ managing childcare life has blurred the lines between work and home. I do the school runs during my work time, so then I make that time up later on. My work hours are all over the place. I’m on annual leave today with nothing to do/ nowhere to go and so I’m catching up on work. Are we all doing this?

YANBU we’re all working when we’re on annual leave, evenings and weekends.

YABU most people are sticking rigidly to their usual core hours.

I used to do a couple of hours on a Sunday evening years ago thinking I would be ahead on the Monday. Was I? No. I work flexibly and build up hours but I do not work weekends or through leave. You need a break

Nope. I work my contracted hours and not a minute more.

Why start a thread and then not come back for 36 hours ?

YANBU we’re all working when we’re on annual leave, evenings and weekends
YABU most people are sticking rigidly to their usual core hours.

I haven't read the whole thread, but I suspect there is a pretty high % who are in between these two statements.
We've been told that we should do whatever we need to do, based on our individual circumstances, and to try to balance things the best we can.
So people are still mostly working the same number of hours as before but might space them out differently across the week, to both fit them in and also fit in childcare, or even going for a long walk while it is light rather than only taking the usual 10mins for lunch, and so forth.

When we first locked down, I was working crazy hours. I made myself quite unwell with the stress of it all. It was all of my own doing, I never logged off and the line between work and home was non existent. In recent weeks, I’ve been stricter with myself and I feel much better for it. I work more than my hours but I do it because I need to do something urgent as opposed to anxiety that I must be working all the hours. I won’t reply to as many emails out of hours but I don’t mind if I’m on annual leave given there’s nowhere to go!

i do school pickups in the afternoon whilst WFH, its only 30 mins round trip, i walk the dog at lunch too but take shorter break than if i was in the office so i see it as balancing it out, i save 2 hours commute a day but i dont work 2 hours extra, no chance.. work to live not live to work

@Mumtoalittlegirl

Nope!

And if I sign on when I’m not supposed to my boss tells me off!

Same here!

No I don't but I don't do school runs during work hours.

Yes. Absolutely. But then again when you're senior and well paid that is often par for the course. I don't mind - I'd rather work this way than be in a more junior job and get paid less.

If I died, they would replace me within a matter of weeks. So no, I don't work a minute over my hours because it is just a job and my free time is far more important.

@BasiliskStare

Isn't some of this though depending on the kind of job and seniority - so some senior people ( who are paid accordingly - are expected to work out of normal hours without getting overtime payment. If your job utterly pays you between certain hours and no more then yes that is different . Flexi time is different.

Exactly. I'd like to know how many of the PPs who said they clock off at 5:00pm (or whatever time they finish) and never work extra time are in leadership positions or are running companies. I can't remember the last time I went on holiday without my laptop.

I work for myself so yes, I do work during leave, but if I worked for someone else I absolutely would not!

I'm never off work. I hate it.

I work flexi time but like you - I have nothing else to do so I now work every day - I try to fit my PT hours over 5 days but I'm heavily in credit at the moment - plus I had Covid so was sick over half term and Christmas - I have a lot of leave to take!

I like being able to lie in though!

I'm a COO, and I clock off entirely at my finish time. I do think about work sometimes, and email my work address if I have an idea out of hours.

I come from a project management background and I tend to think that if the project/company can't survive without you then you're doing a pretty poor job of running it. Have you hired incapable staff? Have you underskilled them? Do they have no understanding of what work can wait or what message to give if you're unavailable? Have you bitten off more than you can chew running a project?

Our company has absolutely thrived since the current CEO and I took over - increased revenues, reduced expenditure, developed the staff. At the same time we've reduced hours whilst increasing pay.

I was more junior in the company for a while, and staff have directly told me that they are very happy with how I'm doing things. They were worried and stressed under the leadership of those who were never away from their inboxes, now they're confident that our company has a future.

If you keep up with your emails whilst you're on holiday then I'm afraid I don't think you're running your company very well (and I have no doubt that your staff WISH you would step away from the keyboard and trust them to manage things).

Not when on annual leave but I am having to work weekends and evenings.

I also think some of this depends on how big the company is so - e.g. when on holiday a large company will probably have someone of a similar job who can stand in for you. A smaller / start up company - not so much & if the latter there just are times when a decision has to be made and it may not be between 9 & 6 - especially if an international company - so time zones etc.

I do not think any one at all should work to the extent it compromises their health.

Teacher...so most nights, working for 3 hrs ish, once the kids are in bed from 9. Until it's done. Last week till 2am most nights. I know some, because of being able to see on shared docs when the were logging in, who were working until 4am, then getting up and doing 5 hrs of lessons plus working with their own children's school schedule.
It's relentless.
I do though, enjoy a lie in, used to be up at 6, getting kids in the car etc, home at about 6, now I'm sleeping till 7.30, online by 8 and for my lunch I might try to put a wash on, it maybe even get out for a quick walk with the kids 😮 I spent last week working on my day off, but I'm going to try not to this week.

You're on annual leave and have chosen to catch up on work. That's a choice that you've made

I only work when I'm paid to do so

I think a lot of people are, but not everyone. I personally don't work on holiday or hours in not being paid unless I really, really have to. Honestly I think a lot of office jobs don't actually require people to work above their hours but people feel they 'ought to'. Not denying there are some jobs where people are overworked but, IMO, there is an awful lot of preseteeism and 'busyness signaling ('See, I am important/hard working because I'm working at the weekend/till 10pm/on holiday).

Maybe this is why I don't have a dynamic, high paying career, but I guess I'm a 'work to live' kind of girl!

Fuck no!

However I work in security, can't exactly bring that home